1980–81 UAB Blazers men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 1980–81 UAB Blazers Basketball UAB Blazers wordmark.png Sun Belt Conference Sun Belt 23–9 9–3 Gene Bartow 3rd BJCC Coliseum NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen The 1980–81 UAB Blazers men's basketball team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a member of the Sun Belt Conference during the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. This was head coach Gene Bartow's third season at UAB, and the Blazers played their home games at BJCC Coliseum. They finished the season 23–9, 9–3 in Sun Belt play and fell in the championship game of the Sun Belt tournament. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 7 seed in the Mideast region. After beating No. 10 seed Western Kentucky in the opening round, UAB upset No. 2 seed Kentucky to reach the Sweet Sixteen. The Blazers fell to No. 3 seed and eventual National champion Indiana in the Mideast regional semifinal, 87–72.St. Joseph's, Indiana Gain Mideast Final; Eagles Ousted 42-41 https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/21/sports/st-joseph-s-indiana-gain-mideast-final-eagles-ousted-42-41.html The New York Times March 21, 2023 February 24, 2023 This season marked Coach Bartow's first trip (of nine total) to the NCAA tournament as coach of the Blazers, and started a string of seven consecutive bids to the "Big Dance." Roster 1980 UAB Blazers y Jonathan Nicholas 14 G 6 3 Jr Brooklyn, New York Luellen Foster 15 G 6 4 165 Fr Birmingham, Alabama Oliver Robinson 20 G 6 4 180 So Birmingham, Alabama y Scott Simcik 21 G 6 1 So Simi Valley, California Raymond Gause 24 G 6 5 195 Jr Memphis, Tennessee Glenn Marcus 34 G 5 10 155 Sr Alabaster, Alabama Tim Almquist 32 F 6 7 200 Sr Forest Lake, Minnesota Chris Giles 40 F 6 8 200 Jr Birmingham, Alabama Lex Drum 42 C 6 10 So Poplar Bluff, Missouri Craig Lane 44 F 6 6 210 Jr Quincy, Florida Donnie Speer 52 C 6 8 225 Jr Sylacauga, Alabama Norman Anchrum 55 C 6 10 225 Jr Birmingham, Alabama Gene Bartow https://uabsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/1980-81 https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/alabama-birmingham/1981.html 1980–81 Alabama–Birmingham Blazers Roster and Stats Sports Reference February 24, 2023 Schedule and results 1980-81 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings 1980 yes yes |- !colspan=9 style=UAB Blazers| Regular season Nov 29, 1980 yes MacMurray Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 96–56 4,628 1–0 Dec 3, 1980 yes 1980 men Butler Bulldogs Butler Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 87–58 4,568 2–0 Dec 6, 1980 yes yes Ole Miss Tad Smith Coliseum Oxford, Mississippi 72–83 3,928 2–1 Dec 8, 1980 yes 1980 men UT Arlington Mavericks UT Arlington Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 67–54 4,295 3–1 Dec 11, 1980 yes 1980 men Roosevelt Lakers Roosevelt Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 112–55 3,649 4–1 Dec 13, 1980 yes yes Pittsburgh Fitzgerald Field House Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 70–58 3,885 5–1 Dec 16, 1980 yes 1980 men Missouri Western Griffons Missouri Western Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 107–54 4,298 6–1 Dec 19, 1980 yes yes 1980 men Idaho State Bengals Idaho State Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky UKIT 68–55 12,400 7–1 Dec 20, 1980 yes yes Kentucky 2 Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky UKIT 53–61 23,835 7–2 Dec 23, 1980 yes yes Iowa State Hilton Coliseum Ames, Iowa 70–71 6,129 7–3 Dec 29, 1980 yes 1980 men Rice Owls Rice Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama UAB Classic 78–60 6,282 8–3 Dec 30, 1980 yes 1980 men Southern Miss Golden Eagles Southern Miss Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama UAB Classic 60–55 OT 8,078 9–3 Jan 3, 1981 1980 men Jacksonville Dolphins Jacksonville Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 73–55 7,195 10–3 1–0 Jan 10, 1981 VCU Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 67–65 8,881 11–3 2–0 Jan 17, 1981 yes 1980 men South Florida Bulls South Florida USF Sun Dome Tampa, Florida 77–79 7,107 11–4 2–1 Jan 24, 1981 yes Jacksonville Jacksonville Coliseum Jacksonville, Florida 76–64 3,805 12–4 3–1 Jan 29, 1981 South Florida Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 70–53 8,059 13–4 4–1 Jan 31, 1981 South Alabama Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 73–70 16,131 14–4 5–1 Feb 2, 1981 yes 1980 men Georgia State Panthers Georgia State GSU Sports Arena Atlanta, Georgia 85–67 325 15–4 6–1 Feb 5, 1981 Georgia State Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 89–64 5,813 16–4 7–1 Feb 7, 1981 yes yes DePaul 3 Allstate Arena Rosemont, Illinois 66–77 16,232 16–5 Feb 12, 1981 yes 1980 men Charlotte 49ers Charlotte Belk Gymnasium Charlotte, North Carolina 73–57 1,504 17–5 8–1 Feb 15, 1981 yes VCU Richmond Coliseum Richmond, Virginia 69–79 8,100 17–6 8–2 Feb 18, 1981 yes South Alabama Jaguar Gym Mobile, Alabama 57–77 10,549 17–7 8–3 Feb 22, 1981 Charlotte Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 80–64 7,129 18–7 9–3 Feb 24, 1981 yes 1980 men Samford Bulldogs Samford Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama 92–67 5,310 19–7 |- !colspan=9 style=UAB Blazers| Sun Belt tournament Feb 27, 1981 yes yes 3 Charlotte 6 Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum Jacksonville, Florida Quarterfinals 80–64 6,122 20–7 Feb 28, 1981 yes yes 3 South Alabama 2 Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum Jacksonville, Florida Semifinals 86–59 5,271 21–7 Mar 1, 1981 yes yes 3 VCU 1 Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum Jacksonville, Florida Championship game 61–62 OT 3,873 21–8 |- !colspan=9 style=UAB Blazers| NCAA tournament Mar 13, 1981 yes yes 7 ME Western Kentucky 10 ME Memorial Coliseum Tuscaloosa, Alabama First round 93–68 10,628 22–8 Mar 15, 1981 yes yes 7 ME Kentucky 8 2 ME Memorial Coliseum Tuscaloosa, Alabama Second round 69–62 12,229 23–8 Mar 20, 1981 yes yes 7 ME Indiana 9 3 ME Assembly Hall Bloomington, Indiana Mideast Regional Semifinal Sweet Sixteen 72–87 17,091 23–9 AP poll ME Mideast 2019-20 UAB Men's Basketball Media Guide https://uabsports.com/documents/2019/11/21/MG_MBB_20.pdf UAB Athletics February 24, 20231980-81 Men's Basketball Schedule https://uabsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/1980-81 UAB Athletics March 26, 2023 Rankings 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings Awards and honors Gene Bartow – Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year References 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